MetroAccess Lawsuit Over TB Exposure

3 patients test positive for TB

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A large group of MetroAccess riders have filed suit against Metro and MV Transportation, the contractor that runs the service for persons with disabilities, over possible exposure to tuberculosis.

According to the Washington Examiner, almost 90 riders have joined in the class-action lawsuit.

In November 2008, Metro sent notices to more than 700 MetroAccess riders that a driver had tested positive for tuberculosis. Metro also released the riders’ information to the D.C. Health Department so they could receive treatment if needed.

Since then, three of the people involved in the suit have tested positive for the latent form of TB, according to the Examiner.

The Centers for Disease Control said with the latent form of the infection, patients will not exhibit any symptoms but they must undergo treatment to prevent it from becoming full blown TB.

The attorney who filed the lawsuit told the Examinerthat while the majority of those involved in the suit have not tested positive for TB, they are more vulnerable because many of them have underlying medical conditions, making the exposure more dangerous.